Grade: B
Taking over the space that was formally Vitamin T, Fuego continues the tradition of supplying downtown Phoenix with alternative Latin-inspired food.
Situated on the east side of Cityscape on First Street, Fuego is only a few blocks south of ASU’s Downtown campus — not too far for the wandering Sun Devil in search of established local cuisine once the prospects of Taylor Place and Subway get old.
And although Fuego is only a recent addition, it is far from not being established. Fuego Cityscape is the fourth Fuego restaurant that owner Jeff Ward has opened in the Valley. Although it is part of a Fuego group, the Cityscape version manages to capture the atmosphere of downtown.
Aside from the same colorful lights and open kitchen left over from the previous owner, two things caught my attention when I entered Fuego. The first was the feeling of openness that they managed to fit into such a small space, much like the way that downtown feels open being in the heart of the sixth largest U.S. city.
The second was what I would call the “hallway of art” that exists on the left side of the restaurant, which consists of a collection of urban meets Dia de los Muertos inspired pieces. Upon closer inspection it is revealed that all the pieces were created by local artist Melody Smith and are currently on sale.
I realized just how different Fuego was when the server gave me a glass of water in a jar as opposed to a glass or a cup. This uniqueness then began to expand on itself when I began to glance over the menu. With items ranging from Green Chile Cornbread to Fuego Meatloaf, it was hard to place what cuisine I was about to devour.
In the end I decided to go with something more familiar to me: the pernil torta, a Puerto Rican style roasted pork topped with sugar cured red cabbage and a chipotle barbeque sauce that is served with sweet potato chile fries. Additionally I asked for a side of their Fuego taco sauce to be served with the torta since I enjoy added spice.
When the food arrived it was arranged nicely on the plate. I began with the fries and found them to be the perfect blend of crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with the right amount of salt to my liking. I am not sure, however, what the “chile” portion of the name signified since they had no tasted or visible spice to them. I assumed it was just to keep the Latin appeal.
Moving on to the torta, I found the bread to be very soft and fresh with just the slightest hint of crispiness from being lightly grill toasted. The pork was very moist and was just the right blend of flavor to them that went well with the cabbage. Although there is barbeque in the description, the sauce is not overpowering. I was slightly disappointed after adding the salsa, which was too mild for my taste.
Overall, I was impressed with what Fuego had to offer, but I felt that most items were overpriced. My torta, for example, cost $9. The restaurant offers an all-day happy hour to patrons that sit on the patio, but in the Arizona summer heat, I passed on that offer. Otherwise, Fuego’s normal happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m.
Contact the critic at mrcontr1@asu.edu
